California Plans for 2017

[motacyclist]

She is doing well and recovering from the cancer treatment which was harsh but we are optimistic for the future and so glad we invested in this superb little van where making a cup of tea over Ogmore beach has meant so much to us!

Thanks for sharing your story. My best wishes to you both.

 

[zeratul]

Our plans so far (we're bound to school holidays because we have 3 children) :
January: depending on the weather, might visit southcoast of England
February: 9days skiing holiday in Austria, only sleeping in the cali on stopover nights.
April: 10 days Pyrenees
May: 5 day trip to Scotland
August: 23 days in Iceland. Shipping the cali with Samskip from Rotterdam and flying ourselves.
Our 4th iceland trip, this time we go into the highlands and West Fjords.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Our plans so far (we're bound to school holidays because we have 3 children) :
January: depending on the weather, might visit southcoast of England
February: 9days skiing holiday in Austria, only sleeping in the cali on stopover nights.
April: 10 days Pyrenees
May: 5 day trip to Scotland
August: 23 days in Iceland. Shipping the cali with Samskip from Rotterdam and flying ourselves.
Our 4th iceland trip, this time we go into the highlands and West Fjords.

Sounds drastic having to ship the Cali over. No where to hire a Cali/vehicle over there...???

 

[zeratul]

Sounds drastic having to ship the Cali over. No where to hire a Cali/vehicle over there...???

Car hire is very expensive in iceland. Haven't found a place that hires out calis, let alone beaches (we need 5 seats). There just this : https://www.happycampers.is/
but the 5 seater that also sleeps 5 is not a 4MOTION and so you cannot visit the highlands.
On top of that, for € 310/day and then 3 weeks we'd pay € 6510 while shipping the cali with Samskip is only € 2000.
So it makes a lot of sense.. There's also the ferry from Denmark, comparable price to samskip+the flight prices.. but you need 6 days extra.

Having your own Cali in iceland - you also have all camping equipment you need.

 

[vanmarr]

Spain in early April for a shakedown run, then Le Mans for the 24hr in June (6 T6s!), then a loop taking in Europa Park, Bohemia and Stockholm at the end of Aug. We may change the last one to head south to Croatia instead of Sweden, weather dependent.

Will also try to grab a long weekend or two in Jersey, and the kids will undoubtedly use it as a garden tent for most of the summer!

Let me know what you have sorted for Le Mans I have set my eyes on that for some time and now I have the Cali I definately

 

[motacyclist]

Our plans so far (we're bound to school holidays because we have 3 children) :
January: depending on the weather, might visit southcoast of England
February: 9days skiing holiday in Austria, only sleeping in the cali on stopover nights.
April: 10 days Pyrenees
May: 5 day trip to Scotland
August: 23 days in Iceland. Shipping the cali with Samskip from Rotterdam and flying ourselves.
Our 4th iceland trip, this time we go into the highlands and West Fjords.

This is where we need the envy icon!

 

[BikerGran]

Doubt if I'll be crossing the channel - done a lot of that with bike and trike, now that I can stop anywhere I want to revisit lots of obscure parts of Britain I went to when doing the Round Britain Rally and find lots more that I've never been to!

 

[vanmarr]

Spain in early April for a shakedown run, then Le Mans for the 24hr in June (6 T6s!), then a loop taking in Europa Park, Bohemia and Stockholm at the end of Aug. We may change the last one to head south to Croatia instead of Sweden, weather dependent.

Will also try to grab a long weekend or two in Jersey, and the kids will undoubtedly use it as a garden tent for most of the summer!

Let me know if I can come along for the Le Mans 24 ever since I was young I always wanted to and bought the Cali for things like this.

 

[John.s]

Our first major trip in our new Cali is going to be a local holliday from Devon to do the north coast 500. Thought we would keep it simple for a test run before the next one through France into Spain and back home. Any suggestions for places to see,camp and eat in Scotland please let me know.

 

[kave]

I am lightly thinking about the nice-genua region betwee christmas and new years eve. We will sleep in the cali on the way up and down and rent an appartment when we arrive. Any ideas what temperatures to expect?
Maybe a swim in the ocean if we are lucky.

 

[2haw]

For over five months my wife has been battling cancer. In a low point I recently drove our lovely VW Ocean into the drive gates that must have blown open in strong winds as I was reversing trying to get to visit my wife in hospital and it caused some damage to the bumper and the bike rack - nothing too serious but a damn nuisance.

I think my head was exploding at the time since I was also trying to take my other car for an annual service and an MOT due that day and on taking my other car out on the drive I noticed a flat tyre (actually caused by a ruddy great six inch nail) that added to my stress.

Earlier that day (much earlier) I had woken up to our little dog, Meg that was upset from missing my wife and Meg must have had an upset tummy and had consequently poo'd all over the conservatory floor as a result and as I was trying to get ready to visit my wife so it took over an hour to steam clean the mess!

My wife had been away in hospital over the previous seven days having her first series of chemo-therapy and the poor little dog must have had an upset stomach so after I spent over an hour steam cleaning the mess and generally tidying up, I was not in a good place.

Eventually after an hour and a half being late I finally made it to the hospital in Velindre, Cardiff and the smile on my wife's face made the stress of the previous couple of hours fade away and I hugged her and we both spent the day together in the sensory garden as she was hooked into the chemo machine in the sunshine as we contemplated our future.

After four months from this event we finally managed to take a trip to Ogmore-by-Sea near Bridgend yesterday for the first time and we both saw the sunset together with our two little dogs. We both look forward to spending time in 2017 in the van of our dreams for which our trips will be even more special!

She is doing well and recovering from the cancer treatment which was harsh but we are optimistic for the future and so glad we invested in this superb little van where making a cup of tea over Ogmore beach has meant so much to us!

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For over five months my wife has been battling cancer. In a low point I recently drove our lovely VW Ocean into the drive gates that must have blown open in strong winds as I was reversing trying to get to visit my wife in hospital and it caused some damage to the bumper and the bike rack - nothing too serious but a damn nuisance.

I think my head was exploding at the time since I was also trying to take my other car for an annual service and an MOT due that day and on taking my other car out on the drive I noticed a flat tyre (actually caused by a ruddy great six inch nail) that added to my stress.

Earlier that day (much earlier) I had woken up to our little dog, Meg that was upset from missing my wife and Meg must have had an upset tummy and had consequently poo'd all over the conservatory floor as a result and as I was trying to get ready to visit my wife so it took over an hour to steam clean the mess!

My wife had been away in hospital over the previous seven days having her first series of chemo-therapy and the poor little dog must have had an upset stomach so after I spent over an hour steam cleaning the mess and generally tidying up, I was not in a good place.

Eventually after an hour and a half being late I finally made it to the hospital in Velindre, Cardiff and the smile on my wife's face made the stress of the previous couple of hours fade away and I hugged her and we both spent the day together in the sensory garden as she was hooked into the chemo machine in the sunshine as we contemplated our future.

After four months from this event we finally managed to take a trip to Ogmore-by-Sea near Bridgend yesterday for the first time and we both saw the sunset together with our two little dogs. We both look forward to spending time in 2017 in the van of our dreams for which our trips will be even more special!

She is doing well and recovering from the cancer treatment which was harsh but we are optimistic for the future and so glad we invested in this superb little van where making a cup of tea over Ogmore beach has meant so much to us!

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My best wishes to you both.

And I'm loving the 18" Springfield's on your van! That's one of the nicest Cali's I've seen .
I want some now!

 

[Julian_Camper_Man]

My best wishes to you both.

And I'm loving the 18" Springfield's on your van! That's one of the nicest Cali's I've seen .
I want some now!

Many thanks - tough decision having to lose a spare and then pay extra to get 17" new wheel and basket - does look good though and loads of people have commented - people also think i have lowered suspension but this is the effect of the low profile tyres and the stainless steel bar

 

[pauli88]

HI guys
Just booked a pitch down in St Ives for new year celebrations ... Need to find an outfit now for the 3 of us ... as you look the odd one out apparently if you don't dress up in the town .. Thinking of the Three Bears

 

[pauli88]

New to all this ...HEE HEE I wanted to put this on the end of my post .

 

[LowMan]

For over five months my wife has been battling cancer. In a low point I recently drove our lovely VW Ocean into the drive gates that must have blown open in strong winds as I was reversing trying to get to visit my wife in hospital and it caused some damage to the bumper and the bike rack - nothing too serious but a damn nuisance.

I think my head was exploding at the time since I was also trying to take my other car for an annual service and an MOT due that day and on taking my other car out on the drive I noticed a flat tyre (actually caused by a ruddy great six inch nail) that added to my stress.

Earlier that day (much earlier) I had woken up to our little dog, Meg that was upset from missing my wife and Meg must have had an upset tummy and had consequently poo'd all over the conservatory floor as a result and as I was trying to get ready to visit my wife so it took over an hour to steam clean the mess!

My wife had been away in hospital over the previous seven days having her first series of chemo-therapy and the poor little dog must have had an upset stomach so after I spent over an hour steam cleaning the mess and generally tidying up, I was not in a good place.

Eventually after an hour and a half being late I finally made it to the hospital in Velindre, Cardiff and the smile on my wife's face made the stress of the previous couple of hours fade away and I hugged her and we both spent the day together in the sensory garden as she was hooked into the chemo machine in the sunshine as we contemplated our future.

After four months from this event we finally managed to take a trip to Ogmore-by-Sea near Bridgend yesterday for the first time and we both saw the sunset together with our two little dogs. We both look forward to spending time in 2017 in the van of our dreams for which our trips will be even more special!

She is doing well and recovering from the cancer treatment which was harsh but we are optimistic for the future and so glad we invested in this superb little van where making a cup of tea over Ogmore beach has meant so much to us!

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Lovely story Julian. Love and best wishes to both of you.

 

[Julian_Camper_Man]

Thank you all for your best wishes and kind messages

Best wishes to all

Julian

 

[LowMan]

Thank you all for your best wishes and kind messages which was really touching and very kind and I feel so pleased that I am a member of this exclusive forum with like-minded people who seem to be the most nicest of people in the World.

For the past couple of weeks my wife Meryl could not look at our little grandchildren without a tear in her eyes and I knew what she was thinking. So we returned to Ogmore-by-sea on Tuesday this week for a nice cup of tea in the California and a walk with Meg and Louie on the beach.

On Tuesday I knew my wife had been praying all day and I know she saw a few Robins which she always associates with her Dad as a sign that all will be well. That night our dogs started barking like crazy and this woke us up along with the television and radio that had turned on suddenly. I didn't think too much of this since the weather was unusual and there was still the full moon in the sky so I figured that it must have been something to do with magnetic interference but Meryl thinks it was more spiritual and that we had had a visit from her Dad who had passed away several years ago and his spirit was trying to tell us something!!

And so it was that we both walked with some trepidation and uncertainty with our two little dogs along a windy Ogmore beach on Tuesday since the next day on Wednesday, Meryl had an appointment with the Royal Gwent Hospital to meet the lead Cancer team for a post treatment diagnosis by the consultant in charge, Mr Passant.

I can't tell you how relieved we were to have been told that the treatment had worked and the cancer tumours had disappeared completely which was a moving experience I can tell you and this put our van mishap completely into perspective a few months earlier which was a symbol of our low point this year, not because of the accident but because it became symbolic to the whole awful experience this year.

Meryl now faces five years of tests which will become monthly visits and each visit will be a little bit more worrying but the elation and relief we both felt on Wednesday completely lifted those horrible experiences and uncertainties of the past six months.

There is a new meaning to having the California in our lives now and I hope we use it as much as possible as a rainbow brings hope and fun!

If anyone is facing the same uncertainty in life then I would urge you to grab as much fun as you can today and look at every rainbow, full moon or Robin with positive thoughts and hope since happy endings can be just around the corner with sunshine and happy days to look forward to.

Best wishes to all

Julian

This just might be my favourite ever post on here.....

Thx for sharing Julian. Truly x

 

[Amarillo]

If anyone is facing the same uncertainty in life then I would urge you to grab as much fun as you can today and look at every rainbow, full moon or Robin with positive thoughts and hope since happy endings can be just around the corner with sunshine and happy days to look forward to.

Thanks for sharing Julian.

 

[kave]

I can't tell you how relieved we were to have been told that the treatment had worked and the cancer tumours had disappeared completely which was a moving experience I can tell you and this put our van mishap completely into perspective a few months earlier which was a symbol of our low point this year, not because of the accident but because it became symbolic to the whole awful experience this year.


Julian

Great to hear it is better. I recommend looking at your diet as well to keep it away in the future. There are quite a lot of scientists and researches thinking cancer is fed by sugar and refined carbs.

 

[Teejay]

I don't think we have no firm plans for 2017. It will be our first year with a California. However, I do have the NC500 and a NEED to visit some all of the distilleries on Islay. The northern lights are high on my list too.

...message ends...

 

[Julian_Camper_Man]

Great to hear it is better. I recommend looking at your diet as well to keep it away in the future. There are quite a lot of scientists and researches thinking cancer is fed by sugar and refined carbs.

yep thanks we have been eating anti-carcigens for years but there is more to do and our nutrient extractor will become ever more important to make ever more anti-carcigentic smoothies!

 

[WelshGas]

Well, we have 1 trip to Holland, end of March, to see the Tulips and visit Amsterdam, but have just sorted the Ferry and Red Pennant Insurance for my return trip to Scandinavia. Don't know where I'l be staying but the rough route is Home to Harwich, Hook of Holland, Copenhagen, The Bridge, Stockholm, Tromso, Arctic Centre, Oslo and then back across The Bridge to The Hook of Holland ferry and then home to South Wales.

I won't be actually visiting the Main Cities as we do that on short City Breaks staying in the Centre.

About 4,100 miles according to Garmin Basecamp.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Well, we have 1 trip to Holland, end of March, to see the Tulips and visit Amsterdam, but have just sorted the Ferry and Red Pennant Insurance for my return trip to Scandinavia. Don't know where I'l be staying but the rough route is Home to Harwich, Hook of Holland, Copenhagen, The Bridge, Stockholm, Tromso, Arctic Centre, Oslo and then back across The Bridge to The Hook of Holland ferry and then home to South Wales.

I won't be actually visiting the Main Cities as we do that on short City Breaks staying in the Centre.

About 4,100 miles according to Garmin Basecamp.

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Impressive trip plan. We are not planning anything quite so impressive this year maybe next? Holland and a safe haven in France for us. (some English friends who live in France). Still it will be an experience in its self.
I am sure you will have a great time. I have been to both Sweden and Norway but sadly never as a holiday, always business trips no time for the real country. Both must be put on my list......
Oh! You will post pics wont you? JW

 

[zeratul]

We've done that trip a couple of years ago. Except after Bodo, we went back to Sweden and took the Swedish interior route.. very beautiful.

Did you consider taking the ferry Travemunde to Helsinki and then putting the Cali on the night train to Rovaniemi or even better Kolari? https://www.vr.fi/cs/vr/en/long-distance_service_network and https://www.vr.fi/cs/vr/en/frontpage
This is one of our possible summer plans for 2018. It's not so expensive and saves a lot of kms.

 

[Kmann]

Well, we have 1 trip to Holland, end of March, to see the Tulips and visit Amsterdam, but have just sorted the Ferry and Red Pennant Insurance for my return trip to Scandinavia. Don't know where I'l be staying but the rough route is Home to Harwich, Hook of Holland, Copenhagen, The Bridge, Stockholm, Tromso, Arctic Centre, Oslo and then back across The Bridge to The Hook of Holland ferry and then home to South Wales.

I won't be actually visiting the Main Cities as we do that on short City Breaks staying in the Centre.

About 4,100 miles according to Garmin Basecamp.

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Lovely route. A trip in the north is absolutely on our Bucketlist.

But are you sure you want to go end March? You might look into severe winter weather if King Winter makes that decision. Av. temperature in mid Sweden is -5* … better bring shovel and chains.